"We might not be able to prevent some explosions in the future, but we could minimise them by taking all precautions. There have been several royal commissions in recent years, many investigations and committees. We want action now, the miners were entitled to such promises, one of which should be a five day week with a six hour day after the war." speaking at the Hanley town hall after the Sneyd Colliery Explosion of Jan 1st. 1942

Ellis Smith was responsible for getting the 1957 Mining Subsidence Act into law, which opened the way for claims for damage to property from subsidence. This had been a problem for many decades, as the case against Lord Granville in 1844